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Character and Appearance

Daeron was a warrior and conqueror, self-confident and very charismatic. He was young and very handsome, being clean-shaven with long hair. He wore the crown of Aegon the Conqueror. He was noted to be very brave on the battlefield, where he wore an elaborate suit of gold and black plate.[3]

Biography

Daeron was the firstborn son and heir of Aegon III and Daenaera of House Velaryon, and was born in 143 AC. He had a younger brother, Baelor, and three younger sisters, Daena, Rhaena and Elaena. His father passed away when Daeron was only fourteen and he was crowned King Daeron I, though at times he would be called the "Boy King". Daeron kept his uncle Viserys as his Hand of the King, as his uncle had held the position for Aegon III as well.

Daeron had long felt that the continued independence of Dorne represented unfinished business for the Targaryen's, and upon his ascension he vowed to rectify his ancestors' mistake. His uncle and Hand of the KingPrince Viserys and councillors objected to his plans. His councillors reminded him that Aegon the Conquerer and his sisters failed twice in trying to conquer Dorne and they had Dragons and that the Iron Throne had none, to which Daeron famously replied...

In the end Daeron could not be gainsaid, with the help and advice of Alyn Velaryon he set about planning the invasion. The campaign showed great promise as Daeron went over and revised the mistakes that were made in the First Dornish War. Daeron split his army into three for the invasion and personally led the army down the Boneway. He learned from the mistakes Orys Baratheon made in the first war. Daeron used the goat paths located in the pass to avoid the traps and ambushes the Dornish usually implemented to repel invaders. His other army led by House Tyrell attacked at the same time down Prince's Pass. The third army, was a naval assault along the Dornish coast was commanded by Alyn Velaryon who won sweeping victories in Planky Town.[4]

By 158 AC, a year after the invasion began, the Prince of Dorne and two score Dornish lords had bent the knee. The Conquest of Dorne as it became known looked like it succeeded and Daeron becoming the first Targaryen king to conquer Dorne and unite all Seven Kingdoms for the first time. Despite the loss of ten thousand men in taking Dorne. An assassination attempt on Daeron was prevented by the actions of Prince Aemon the Dragonknight who threw himself in the path of the poisoned arrow meant for his king, Aemon survived the poison though and was sent back to King's Landing to fully recover.[4]

Following his conquest after the Submission of Sunspear he wrote the book Conquest of Dorne about his achievement.[5] The book was known for its style and simplicity but in it Daeron exaggerated the numbers of his foes to make his conquest seem greater.[4]

Unfortunately for him, Daeron's conquest did not last. It was undone in a fortnight when a clever trap killed the steward that Daeron had left to rule Dorne, Lord Lyonel Tyrell. His death sparked a great uprising that overthrew most of the conquest.[6] Daeron lost fifty thousand men trying to hold Dorne, culminating in his own death during the uprising. At that time he was only eighteen.[7] Daeron was murdered while meeting the Dornish under a peace banner, with three knights of the Kingsguard slain, one yielding, and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight captured, though Prince Aemon managed to slay two of the betrayers before being taken into custody.[4]

Daeron was succeeded by his brother, Baelor the Blessed, who brought about a rapprochement with the Dornish. The Weeping Town received its name from the townspeople's reaction when Daeron's corpse arrived from Dorne.[8] In the city of Oldtown, there is a statue of King Daeron I astride a tall stone horse, his sword lifted toward Dorne.[9]